On Tuesday I posted about the Chicago Shedd Aquarium. Few creatures there are more captivating than sea horses. Indeed, sea horse images are all around the building in the plaster, tile, and even yard tall cornices. However, before even seeing any sea horses, I ran across this delightful little fellow called a pipefish, which the display said is in the same family as sea horses. It has a single fin—in the back—for propulsion, same type snout, and the female also lays eggs in the male who then fertilizes and carries them.
I can’t remember why, but it seems fascinating that the next creature belongs to the genus Hippocampus. Unlike the other two relatives, the Longsnout Seahorse has a prehensile tail to grab onto plants and other structures.
Stealing the show is this little Aussie, the Leafy Seadragon. Like the sea horse, it moves around by its dorsal fin. The leafy appendages are just for disguise, though it too does have those little pectoral fins on the neck for balance and turning.
